The Meat Racket : The Secret Takeover of America's Food Business

**The biggest takeover in American business that you’ve n ever heard of** The American supermarket seems to represent the best in America: abundance, freedom, choice. But that turns out to be an illusion. The rotisserie chicken, the pepperoni, the cordon bleu, the frozen pot pie, and the bacon virtually all come from four companies. In __The Meat Racket__, investigative reporter Christopher Leonard delivers the first-ever account of how a handful of companies have seized the nation’s meat supply. He shows how they built a system that puts farmers on the edge of bankruptcy, charges high prices to consumers, and returns the industry to the shape it had in the 1900s before the meat monopolists were broken up. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the greatest capitalist country in the world has an oligarchy controlling much of the food we eat and a high-tech sharecropping system to make that possible. Forty years ago, more than thirty-six companies produced half of all the chicken Americans ate. Now there are only three that make that amount, and they control every aspect of the process, from the egg to the chicken to the chicken nugget. These companies are even able to raise meat prices for consumers while pushing down the price they pay to farmers. And tragically, big business and politics have derailed efforts to change the system. We know that it takes big companies to bring meat to the American table. What __The Meat Racket__ shows is that this industrial system is rigged against all of us. In that sense, Leonard has exposed our heartland’s biggest scandal. An investigative journalist takes you inside the corporate meat industry—a shocking, in-depth report every American should read. The biggest takeover in American business that you’ve n ever heard of The American supermarket seems to represent the best in America: abundance, freedom, choice. But that turns out to be an illusion. The rotisserie chicken, the pepperoni, the cordon bleu, the frozen pot pie, and the bacon virtually all come from four companies. In The Meat Racket, investigative reporter Christopher Leonard delivers the first-ever account of how a handful of companies have seized the nation’s meat supply. He shows how they built a system that puts farmers on the edge of bankruptcy, charges high prices to consumers, and returns the industry to the shape it had in the 1900s before the meat monopolists were broken up. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the greatest capitalist country in the world has an oligarchy controlling much of the food we eat and a high-tech sharecropping system to make that possible. Forty years ago, more than thirty-six companies produced half of all the chicken Americans ate. Now there are only three that make that amount, and they control every aspect of the process, from the egg to the chicken to the chicken nugget. These companies are even able to raise meat prices for consumers while pushing down the price they pay to farmers. And tragically, big business and politics have derailed efforts to change the system. We know that it takes big companies to bring meat to the American table. What The Meat Racket shows is that this industrial system is rigged against all of us. In that sense, Leonard has exposed our heartland’s biggest scandal. In The Meat Racket, Investigative Reporter Christopher Leonard Delivers The First-ever Account Of How A Handful Of Companies Have Seized The Nation's Meat Supply. He Shows How They Built A System That Puts Farmers On The Edge Of Bankruptcy, Charges High Prices To Consumers, And Returns The Industry To The Shape It Had In The 1900s Before The Meat Monopolists Were Broken Up. At The Dawn Of The 21st Century, The Greatest Capitalist Country In The World Has An Oligarchy Controlling Much Of The Food We Eat And A High-tech Sharecropping System To Make That Possible. These Companies Are Even Able To Raise Meat Prices For Consumers While Pushing Down The Price They Pay To Farmers. We Know That It Takes Big Companies To Bring Meat To The American Table. What The Meat Racket Shows Is That This Industrial System Is Rigged Against All Of Us.--from Publisher Description. How Jerry Yandell Lost The Farm (2003-2004) -- The Eden Crash (1929-1958) -- Expand Or Expire (1960-1967) -- The Industrial Animal (1970-1995) -- Cage Match (2010 - 2012) -- Pig Cities (1973-1994) -- The Next Generation (1996-2000) -- Squeal (1996-2011) -- Pulling The Noose(2011) -- The Food Dictatorship (1994 - 2006) -- The Transition Team (2007-2011) -- Street Fight (2010-2011) -- Don's Horizon. Christopher Leonard. Includes Bibliographical References. An investigative journalist takes you inside the corporate meat industry—a shocking, in-depth report every American should read. How much do you know about the meat on your dinner plate? Journalist Christopher Leonard spent more than a decade covering the country's biggest meat companies, including four years as the national agribusiness reporter for the Associated Press. Now he delivers the first comprehensive look inside the industrial meat system, exposing how a handful of companies executed an audacious corporate takeover of the nation's meat supply. Leonard's revealing account shines a light on the inner workings of Tyson Foods, a pioneer of the industrial system that dominates the market. You'll learn how the food industry got to where it is today, and how companies like Tyson have escaped the scrutiny they deserve. You'll discover how these companies are able to raise meat prices for consumers while pushing down the price they pay to farmers. And you'll even see how big business and politics have derailed efforts to change the system, from a years-long legal fight in Iowa to the Obama administration's recent failed attempt to pass reforms. Important, timely, and explosive, The Meat Racket is an unvarnished portrait of the food industry that now dominates America's heartland.